| What is Alternative Medicine? | | | | nursing schools do as well. |
| | | | |
| Alternative medicine is the use of certain | | | | The increased number of alternative medicine |
| treatments and techniques in the place of | | | | courses being offered at reputable medical |
| conventional treatments. It should not be | | | | schools as served to further fuel the |
| confused with complementary medicine, which | | | | acceptance of these forms of treatment. In |
| is the use of alternative treatments along | | | | fact, the majority of doctors today have no |
| with conventional treatments. To be truly | | | | problem with utilizing alternative health |
| following an alternative medicine regimen, | | | | techniques alongside conventional treatment |
| you must completely replace conventional | | | | strategies. |
| treatment strategies with alternative | | | | |
| treatments. Most people, however, do utilize | | | | Alternative Medicine Criticisms |
| a combination of both alternative and | | | | |
| conventional treatment techniques. The | | | | Despite the growing acceptance of alternative |
| balance that you strike largely depends on | | | | medicine, there are still a number of critics |
| your own beliefs, as well as the illness you | | | | who denounce the effectiveness of these |
| are attempting to recover from. | | | | practices. This is largely because, by |
| | | | definition, alternative medicine has not been |
| Often, alternative medicine treatments | | | | proven to be effective through research |
| involve a spiritual or even a religious | | | | studies. After all, if it were proven |
| component. This is not necessary, however, as | | | | effective, it would no longer be an |
| there are several alternative medicine | | | | "alternative" form of treatment. Instead, it |
| treatments that simply involve taking natural | | | | would become another form of conventional |
| supplements or becoming more in-tune with | | | | medical treatment. |
| your body - whether on a spiritual level or | | | | |
| not. In addition, practices that are defined | | | | Unfortunately, the majority of alternative |
| as alternative treatments in Western cultures | | | | medicine treatments are difficult to test and |
| may not be considered "alternative" in other | | | | to prove. Since many alternative medicine |
| cultures. These include Chinese medicine and | | | | techniques are about becoming self-aware and |
| Ayurveda, which is a form of medicine | | | | eliciting changes in the body in that way, |
| utilized in India. | | | | researchers cannot gauge the level of a |
| | | | person's awareness or truly know the amount |
| Gaining Acceptance | | | | of effort or success a person experiences |
| | | | with alternative medicine. In addition, |
| While alternative medicine is not the most | | | | researchers cannot say definitively whether |
| popular form of medicine in Western cultures, | | | | or not the positive results they have gained |
| it is quickly gaining supporters. In fact, | | | | were because of the alternative medicine or |
| during the seven year period between 1990 and | | | | due to natural healing or the placebo effect. |
| 1997, the percent of people utilizing | | | | |
| alternative medicine strategies in the United | | | | One thing that most can agree upon, however, |
| States rose from 33.8% to 42.1%. Furthermore, | | | | is that alternative medicine does not cause |
| more and more universities are offering | | | | harm when implemented properly. And, as long |
| coursework and even degrees in alternative | | | | as the patient also remains under the care of |
| medicine practices. Currently, approximately | | | | a conventional medical professional, there |
| 60% of medical schools that offer MD degrees | | | | are no risks involved with using this form of |
| in the United States offer coursework in | | | | therapy - which may also very well help you |
| alternative medicine. A whopping 85% of | | | | get better at a faster rate as well. |